{"product_id":"israeli-modernist-abstract-expressionist-oil-painting","title":"Israeli Modernist Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e H: 18.0, W: 24.0 IN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a mixed media, it appears to be oil, graphite and ink on board Hand signed lower right size is with frame. Motke Blum was born in Racacun, Romania in 1925. Early in his childhood, the Blum family moved to Bukarest where they settled in a house situated near a circus. The circus would become young Blum's greatest love. He befriended several of the clowns and other performers and, when not painting or playing in clay, Blum could be found enjoying the company of these spirited entertainers. These experiences would later become a recurring theme in many of his works of art.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1938, he was taken by the Romanian Iron Guard. When the Germans invaded Romania, Blum was taken to a forced labor camp. Even during his imprisonment, he continued to create art, painting on the walls of the camp. He escaped the camp in 1944 and boarded an immigrants' ship to Israel. One of the three ships in the convoy was sunk by a German torpedo. Motke later incorporated shipwrecks, boats, and other maritime subjects into several of his paintings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver the course of his long and fruitful career, Blum showed internationally at over fifty one-man-shows with exhibits in Israel, Holland, England, Belgium, the United States, France, Australia, and more. His art has been commissioned for public buildings and by prominent figures in Israel and around the world, and a series of posters were commissioned by the Justice Ministry and the Ministry of Tourism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiving back to the community has been a focus throughout his life. After establishing a studio at Hutzot Hayotzer, Motke welcomed schools and both adults and children with special needs, using painting and creativity as a means of teaching people to find their inner strength. Motke has contributed several of his works to schools, clubs, institutions, the IDF, and other special organizations. Additionally, he has donated several paintings to fund philanthropies and organizations for the benefit of education and social activity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArtists in Israel for the Defense, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Helena Rubinstein Pavilion, Tel Aviv 1967 Artists: Avraham Binder, Motke Blum, (Mordechai)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSamuel Bak, Yosl Bergner, Nahum Gilboa, Jean David, Marcel Janco, Menashe Kadishman, Yaacov Agam, Lea Nikel, Jacob Pins, Esther Peretz Arad, Dani Karavan, Reuven Rubin, Zvi Raphaely, Yossi Stern, David Sharir and many others. Group Exhibition, The Museum Presents Itself: Israeli Art from the Museum Collection Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel, 2014 Artists: Yaacov Agam, Naftali Bezem, Yosl Bergner, Nahum Gutman, Menashe Kadishman, Jan Rauchwerger, Reuven Rubin, David Reeb, Moshe Mokady, Lea Nikel, Igael Tumarkin, Chana Orloff, Yohanan Simon, Zev Raban, Pinchas Litvinovsky, Avraham Ofek, Avigdor Arikha, Motke Blum, Ludwig Blum, Zvi Mairovich, Anna Ticho, Jacob Steinhardt, Boris Schatz, Marcel Janco.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51628259508522,"sku":"a_13353602S1","price":3800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0996\/4021\/3802\/files\/mobilejpegupload_79F198E51A194773A1331AAB06BFD571_master_7d071f1a-07d4-4f2e-ac92-857395214411.jpg?v=1780507701","url":"https:\/\/lionsgallery.com\/products\/israeli-modernist-abstract-expressionist-oil-painting","provider":"Lions Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}